NFL bears plenty of blame for #DeflateGate

Posted by Mike Florio on January 25, 2015, 3:03 PM EST

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At this point, it’s unclear whether the NFL will find any evidence to support the suspicion that someone from the Patriots deliberately caused footballs to lose air pressure. If the NFL fails to find a proverbial smoking gun, that alone could become a different kind of smoking gun.

Even if (and at this point it could be a big if) the league finds proof of foul play, was it really worth it? The NFL has tarnished its own shield by painting a Super Bowl participant as a cheater without clear evidence of cheating. As noted on Friday, some believe that former Commissioners (such as Paul Tagliabue) would have addressed complaints coming from teams like the Colts regarding underinflated footballs not by trying to lay a trap for the Patriots, but by letting the Patriots know that the league office is paying attention to the situation, and that if there’s any funny business happening it needs to stop, now. Instead, the league office opted to try to catch the Patriots red handed.

But what has the NFL really found? As one league source has explained it to PFT, the football intercepted by Colts linebacker D’Qwell Jackson was roughly two pounds under the 12.5 PSI minimum. The other 10 balls that reportedly were two pounds under may have been, as the source explained it, closer to one pound below 12.5 PSI.

The NFL has yet to share specific information regarding the PSI measurements of the balls that were confiscated and measured at halftime. Which has allowed the perception of cheating to linger, fueled by the confirmation from Friday that the NFL found underinflated balls, but that the NFL still doesn’t know how they came to be that way.

“The goals of the investigation will be to determine the explanation for why footballs used in the game were not in compliance with the playing rules and specifically whether any noncompliance was the result of deliberate action,” the league said. “We have not made any judgments on these points and will not do so until we have concluded our investigation and considered all of the relevant evidence.”

Regardless of how hard or easy it could be or should be to get to the truth, the NFL owes it to the Patriots and the league to get there, quickly. Instead, the premier American sporting event apparently will be played under a dark cloud, and anything other than an eventual finding of cheating will seem anticlimactic and contrived. Even if the conclusion is regarded as legitimate, it won’t undo the damage that the Patriots and the NFL will have suffered during this bizarre period of pending allegations that have not yet been proven.

So at a time when the league office is still reeling from an insufficient investigation in the Ray Rice case, the league office now faces even more criticism for a clumsy sting operation that possibly will end up being a swing and a miss. Surely, much of that criticism will be directed privately at the league office from the Patriots.

Complicating matters for the NFL is that the bat initially was swung by Mike Kensil, a former employee of the Jets with a reputation among the Patriots for being an agitator. (Kensil’s father, Jim, served as president of the Jets for 10 years from the late 1970s to the late 1980s.) And so on the same day that the tampering charges filed by the Patriots against the Jets over Darrelle Revis became the latest chapter in a longstanding feud between the franchises, the tentacles of acrimony between the two franchises found a way to erupt into a brouhaha unlike many the NFL ever has seen.

The NFL never should have let this specific situation get to that point. Even if the league deemed it proper to lay a trap, they should have realized the challenges of actually making a trap work. In this case, it appears that they didn’t.

314 responses to “NFL bears plenty of blame for #DeflateGate”

Congrats to Bill on his fifth grade science experiment. Second it doesn’t matter how it happened or what benefits the patriots got or didn’t get from the deflated footballS they used nunerous times I’m sure. What matters is the nfl has a rule on the air in the ball and they broke it. Belichick cheated once AGAIN, and should be out the league.

The headline for this story should read, “Source: Most New England Footballs only 1 PSI Under Regulation” and then the story should be how this new information contradicts earlier information, raises questions about the one anomalous ball that was in the Colt’s possession, and how this information further supports Belichick’s claims in yesterday’s press conference.

Instead of soul-searching after a week of slandering the Patriots with bad information, it seems like you just want to shift blame to the NFL, as if you and the rest of the media have nothing to do with the embarrassment this has become. Remove the log from your own eye before helping others with the speck in their own eyes, as a wise teacher once said.

Blame the NFL for not taking more preventive measures in the first place. Such as not having a paid staff member keeping his eyes on the balls the whole time. Which is what they should have done for a big game and for a team who is infamous for cheating in the past.
So are they going to learn from this and keep a close watch on Pats balls on the sideline for the SB?

The media starts a firestorm. Runs. Pours gas on it every day. Then when realizing it was the wrong house. Ooops. It wasn’t us. The fire department should have gotten their sooner. It’s their fault the house has burned down.

Florio has been all over the map on this. Now that the tide is turning in favor of the Patriots, he’s just jumping on board. Shame on the NFL, shame on PFT, and shame on the Colts and the Ravens for their dirty work.

So if the NFL indeed laid a “trap” or a “sting operation” for the air pressure in the footballs and if air pressure is so crucial to the “integrity of the game” then the NFL purposely played with the integrity of the game for the first half of the AFC Championship game …

That’s a bigger crime the NFL perpetrated than the Patriots! Who is running the NFL?!

This whole thing has been the biggest waste of time. NFL brain trust looks like stooges once again.

I don’t think the highest burden of proof is on the NFL. It’s on the Pats. They must provide a plausible and repeatable explanation as to why their balls deflated and as to why it wasn’t all of them (11/12). If they cannot demonstrate this in a repeatable way the only other explanation is that they were altered by someone.

More than likely the NFL didn’t think it was a big deal. Then once the picture of Goodell with Kraft the Saturday before came out and people started talking about the evil master mind Belichick they realized they couldn’t just sweep it under the rug so they came up with the 2-3 day investigation story. Then it just kept getting bigger and bigger. Leading 3 major news program on Thursday night. Now the NFL needs to get back in front of it. More than likely a new policy (which the NFL can have complete control) for next season will be the main result.

The league thought they could enhance their reputation by running a sting operation against the Patriots. Instead, based on their own opinion of the impact of deflated footballs, they allowed the first half of the AFC Championship game to be played under unfair conditions. If you listened carefully, Belichick alluded to something like this. They better have something on NE. Are we absolutely sure no one in any capacity in Baltimore gave NE a heads up that they had issues? Maybe the sting was being run against Commissioner Elevator?

What adds to the intrigue and drama is that Roger Goodell spent the night before the game partying at Kraft’s house. Drinking his liquor and eating his food, all while about to run a sting operation against the owners team.

I hope their relationship is irrevocably broken. Maybe in March we get a new commissioner. It is hard to think Kraft is still in his corner.

Finally, an admission that this whole controversy had a stench from the start and that the usual suspects (Jets, Colts, Ravens) all played a part, facilitated by a weak commissioner who lacks the wisdom required of his position. Can any of you even imagine a friend and business associate coming to your party the night before he plans to set up a sting operation with you as a target?A guy whose back you had publicly when he was under fire.

The other tidbit here is that the Patriots footballs were not anywhere near being 2 psi under the minimum (as reported as fact by so many), and that only the ball that was in the Colts possession was 2 psi under weight.

You are [ finally] correct…their trap didn’t work, as we find out more of the truth each day.

You will [ if you get ahold of Kravitz] find out that this was something the Colts have done out of bitterness, jealousy, …and point blank battle wounds inflicted by the Patriots.

These wounds extend all the way back to 2004, when the Colts felt Ty Law mugged Marvin Harrison…and Dungy/Polian teamed up w/Jeff Fisher to inact the ‘5 yard rule’…which has now resulted in the NFL being nothing more than how many flags can be thrown in 1 game.

If…in fact…the NFL is withholding any data, records etc…and unfairly laying the Patriots out to dry…we’d all like to know and will welcome a new commissioner.

No doubt here…the balls were given to officials 2 1/2 hours before the game…and maintained by NFL league employees…Did the officials neglect to check pressure???? How [ if they did] do they ensure that ALL balls are exactly @ 12.5 PSI???..I for one have issues keeping my tires all the same…And yes, like today, on cold mornings, the pressure goes down 4 PSI…unless, the guage is inaccurate.

Should the Colts be QUILTY of conspiracy…and yes, along with Ravens…They both should be docked a 1st round pick, fined $500,000…and frankly, Irsay should be forced to sell team.

If this comes to nothing and is found out to be a swing and miss by the NFL and 3 NFL teams. Baltimore, Indy and Jets what should the punishment be? Remember this is all about the integrity of the game. Since all 3 have had recent infractions of the rules I think it should be drastic.

1st round picks to the patriots.

Patriot fans would also like to suggest replacing the current commissioner with the Hoodie. He can get more done in 2 days then the NFL can in 6 and counting.

OMG I agree! Get this over with already. We all know they cheated, have cheated and will continue to cheat. Punish them and move on. Good grief! Place an asterisk next to them fine them cash and a draft pick and lets get back to football.

Oh, yup. Great point Florio. It was all the NFL’s fault, definitely not the media’s fault. And definitely not this website that contributed to ruining the reputation of the best team in the AFC this year. And certainly, without a doubt, YOU didn’t contribute to any of this mess. Of course not, only the NFL and Goodell are to blame, nobody else.

“As one league source has explained it to PFT, the football intercepted by Colts linebacker D’Qwell Jackson was roughly two pounds under the 12.5 PSI minimum. The other 10 balls that reportedly were two pounds under may have been, as the source explained it, closer to one pound below 12.5 PSI.”

Isn’t that a really huge piece of info that should have it’s own blog post and not just stuck in the middle of a NFL hit piece?

Also, so it appears the Colts took some additional air out of the football they picked off. Is there embellishment worthy of a fine?

Why are so many sportswriters focusing on the the NFL finding proof of tampering with the footballs when it has already been conclusively established that the balls were in compliance when delivered into the hands of the Patriots ballboy? The balls became underflated while in the Patriot’s custody. The Patriots should bear the burden of proof that no Patriot’s personnel did anything to cause the balls to be underflated when tested at halftime, especially when the Colts balls tested ok at the half and all the balls tested ok after the game.
This should be no different than when a player tests positive for PED’s. It doesn’t matter whether the player took the banned substance knowingly or not, only that it was in his body. The player is deemed guilty subject to an appeal. In the case, the Patriots team is guilty subject to an appeal where they can show that they did not tamper with the balls.
The team can be subject punishment, such as loss of draft picks and salary cap space. Let Mr. Kraft and Belichek prove their innocence on appeal.

It should be clear to everyone especially the owners, that the plague of self-inflicted wounds suffered by the League under Goodell this past year will continue this upcoming season and for evermore until Goodell is replaced. All the negative headlines keep reminding folks that they are paying top prices for a very suspect product. You would think successful billionaires like Jones and Kraft would lobby for a change.

How is Mike Kensil involved in this? Did I miss a post? If he is involved, is he going to be interviewed? Have all his electronics been collected for searching to see if there was unusual contacts? Has the NFL acted already or has Kensil already deleted all the incriminating emails?

See what I did there. Even if he has nothing to do with this, it’s quite easy to tarnish his reputation just be asking leading questions.

The other question I’d be asking the NFL is what is the timeline for checking footballs before games. Both Brady, Belichick, sources and former officials all say footballs are provided 2 hours and 15 minutes before game time. Do the officials check the footballs at that point? Or do they wait until closer to game time? If they check them 2 hours and 15 minutes before game time that would be over 4 hours before they were checked at the half (don’t forget the start fo the AFC game was delayed about 15 minutes because of the NFC game’s overtime). The 2nd half didn’t take as long as the first since the Colts were being blown out so they didn’t take timeouts in the 4th quarter. I hope the NFL’s tests take that into account.

Goodell needs to go! He is incompetent. It would be wonderful if he would spend as much time and money investigating the serious issues the league faces such as domestic violence and head trauma injuries.

Chris Mortensen, the hack that made ridiculous statements about Tom Brady and the Patriots after week four, and looked like a fool in doing so, is now being outed for distributing facts about the NFL investigation (i.e., 11 of the 12 Patriots balls tested were at least 2 psi below the minimum) that were untrue. Was Mortensen played for a fool or was he an accomplice in this campaign to discredit the Patriots? And, why did so many just reprint or retell his fabrication? I would hope he would be suspended immediately pending an investigation by his employer.

Come on NFL just give Brady his fourth Super Bowl win so he can join Bradshaw and Montana and then please stop all cheating by the team. This cheating is not in the best interest of Pro Football in the long run.

Agree that this ‘story” never should spinning out of control the way it is – whether they whisper to the Pats that they were watching or they record the chain of events to prove their case – if that is the route they wanted to go. Either way there is resolution.

There is no evidence that the Pats initiated anything…if there was we would know …40 people interviewed…countless experiments…. nothing found but the pile of crap this has left behind. The NFL is ruining what could/should be a great game.

These guys should have the b…s to just say it is a non-event and time to move on. As a fan that is what I want…football!!

Now it’s “entrapment”? So was Marion Barry’s crack smoking bust. If you are scumbags (Barry, Belicheat, Brady) and you get caught doing something against the rules that you have done repeatedly – you have no claim to entrapment.

Belichick knew nothing about the underinflated footballs. Knew nothing about the special teams play that cost them the game vs the jets in the 13 -14 season. What does this guy know besides how to film signals and falsify injury reports?

All good points. No matter what the Patriots may have done to cause suspicions and allegations, the nfl ie Goodell should not have allowed this to leak and linger without investigating first. I’ve withheld judgment on Goodell until now but enough is enough. He has tarnished the league, the game and the super bowl. He’s got to go.

Apparently, the league and lots of people around the internet are not smarter than a 5th grader.

But when numerous people can do what you did and get the same results, it’s called science. The league is trying to deny basic science at work – and it looks stupid. Supporting any side that is denying science is wrong. If the league feels the Patriots altered the balls, then it should show an experiment that shows this.

Because, right now, those 5th grade science experiments are being reproduced by research labs and other scientists showing that the league is going to look really silly soon.

Finally, a somewhat intelligent aricle, from PFT. But please remember….the media bear plenty of blame also. Nothing has been proven, yet for nearly a week, all you have managed to do is to drag the Patriots organization and the names of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady through the mud. Have you ever once, in your efforts to destroy the reputation of Tom Brady, given consideration to his children? Tom Brady has not been proven to have done anything wrong, yet you, the media, have crucified him and have treated the man as though he has committed the crime of the century. The NFL should bear plenty of the blame. But you, the media, have fueled the fire and have turned this into a circus, at a time when we should be talking about possibly, one of the best Super Bowl match ups in recent history.

This isn’t the patriots fault. It’s the nfls fault for not catching them earlier and allowing them to cheat so much anyway. They did no wrong and do not have to follow the nfl rules. Even when they get caught cheating it’s not the patriots fault.
Signed
every patriot fan

OK – Kensil is the NFL Director of Operations. Him having it out for the Pats doesn’t make sense, that’s the same as saying just because Goodell worked for the Jets he hates the Patriots, that’s just dumb.

There was a sting operation. The under under inflated “pick” ball was part of the chain of evidence. So now we have “THE COLTS DID IT !!!”. There is desperate and there are the Patriot fans . Sure the Colts let out just a little bit more air of the “pick ” ball to seal the deal.

There is a new study put out by HeadSmart Labs which fully support the Pats contentions. Given that the American way is to presume innocence until due process is fully played out, I wonder how many people here will apologize if the Pats are exonerated?

Well, Well , Well… wheres Kravits and Greg Doyle now? I see Floria took some advice and got himself on the rightside of this issue before it was too late. Hey how about that hack Chris mortenson?? He’s been quiet lately with all his crappy inside info…lol Dumb Patriot haters, all you ended up doing is firing up this team to epic proportions! And if we win be a slim margin come Sunday we have the haters to thank for it…hhahahahahahah

I think the Patriots should sue the Colts, the Ravens and the NFL for defamation of character. The Patriot’s name has been dragged through the mud and it’s disgraceful beyond belief. So many wild, unsubstantiated accusation about cheating WITHOUT any proof. Bill Belichick knows he did nothing wrong and knows the NFL has nothing on him. Why else would he go to such lengths yesterday to explain the physics of footballs and weather? The Colts and Ravens look awful for making such a petty, bogus claim just because they’re angry the Patriots own them. The NFL looks even worse by letting the Patriots twist in the wind.

It’s obvious very few people here actually read the article. What’s kind of buried is the plum fact that the one ball that was about 2 psi below regulation just magically happened to be the ball that the Colts equipment manager brought to the refs. All the others were closer to about he more easily explained (due to temperature changes) 1 psi lower.

This in itself should be a major story, but of course, journalism isn’t about seeing the truth. It’s about creating drama to get ratings and “facetime.” And if that “journalism” job falls through, then you can always take up that job at VH-1 or Access Hollywood.

The media belongs in the hall of shame over this. All rumor and innuendo and no facts or questioning.

If football inflation is so serious then the NFL needs to elaborate on their testing protocols, data collection, devices used, calibration procedures, training procedures. etc.

We also should be told what the changes in PSI occurred for the Colts footballs (and all other games for that matter) were? If they didn’t change how did they violate the laws of physics? Just because their balls are reported, maybe we don’t know, to still be in range does’t mean they didn’t change.

Also, lets see proof that people can tell the difference in PSI under game conditions. Not in a studio when they are trying to tell the difference.

And, as pointed out there are a ton of conflicting agendas. Science can answer most of the change in inflation. The Patriots should not have to disprove a negative as some suggest. We need positive proof of human intervention before any penalty is meted out.

It is still plausible for the Patriots’ balls to fall below 12.5 PSI at some point after the referees inflated them to that level while not necessarily the same being true for the Colts’ balls, and in such a way that the Patriots didn’t violate the stated rules. The Patriots might feel like they aren’t obligated to volunteer additional information (of which they may or may not even have) that would help settle the NFL’s confusion on the matter if they feel the NFL has unfairly treated them. Then they would expose themselves to having another distraction to explain that entire set of information that they might feel to be private or proprietary.

The only one who has “tarnished” the NFL is Bellichek and the Pats. That news conference was a disgrace and a power play by Bellichek who thinks he is bigger then the game. Florio must be on Kraft’s payroll with his constant defense of these “known” cheaters.

Regardless of how this turn out it’s very clear that there will be a lot of bad feelings as a result of this incident.

If Goodell knew and laid a trap for the Patriots how is that going to go over with Robert Kraft? Goodell was a guest at his party the night before the game and Kraft has been his biggest supporter amongst the owners (something that still drives me crazy as a Patriots fan).

What about Goodell himself? Could it be that he is just a figure head at this point? And if so I am sure he is livid with anyone in the league offices who may have approved setting up the team owned by his biggest supporter.

And what about Harbaugh? He has called Bill a close friend and mentor, is this how you treat a friend?

Jim Irsay and Steve Biscotti? Robert Kraft has been nothing but fully supportive of both men and their franchises during their recent scandals, if they knew about this and didn’t tell Kraft? And what if they didn’t know? I would imagine they would none to happy with Harbaugh and Pagano.

And then there is the relationship between Bill and the Kraft family. If he had anything to do with this he once again put the reputation of the franchise on the line over nonsense.

Like I said. Potentially a lot of bad blood to go around thanks to the incident and how it was handled.

Florio, I don’t agree with all of your assertions; some other angles on this issue:

1. The NFL is suffering under its own weight. It’s football; it’s not life or death or a criminal court matter. But the amping up of the game (the hype over the draft; the insistence on perfection a la instant replay, etc., etc.) creates an atmosphere where this kind of spectacle is possible.

2. On the other hand, the league may even embrace this because it’s all grist for the mill. You claim there will be a cloud over the game; ha! it’s only a cloud if it causes fewer people to watch; it may actually cause more people to watch; it’s a controlled soap opera. It’s not a march to “what is correct.” At the end of the day, it’s only about two things: entertainment and making money. Your argument doesn’t necessarily support those two goals.

PFT has been guilty of juvenilism in covering this story, masked as journalism.

Meanwhile, ZERO mention of the story out of Pittsburgh — home of Florio’s beloved Steelers — in which we learn the Steelers have employed for years an Allegheny County law enforcement officer to “clean up” messy maybe criminal situations in which Steelers players get involved. Somehow it’s escaped PFT’s attention these last few days….

At this point who knows what sources are accurate and what aren’t. Just yesterday morning Peter King wrote
“I am told either 11 or 12 of New England’s footballs (ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported it was 11, and I hear it could have been all 12) had at least two pounds less pressure in them. All 12 Indianapolis footballs were at the prescribed level.”

*At least* being the key phrase.

I keep thinking, If the NFL didn’t have strong suspicions that this was not a natural or unplanned deflation, they wouldn’t go so far as to hire a law firm and forensic electronic/video people to assist them. But we can’t be sure…

Former Jets special teams coach Mike Westhoff had the following to offer…

“As much as I hate to, I’m going to defend them,” Westhoff said. “And trust me, I hate to defend them. (Spygate) was only a part of it. The number of things that were like this? There’s only a handful of them that have been made public.

“Trust me, what I’m tellin’ you. There are quite a few others. Clock violations. You can go on and on. There’s a whole s—load.”

I’d be curious to what other things never made public that the Pats did to step over the rules….

According to the Boston Globe, it’s not just the Jets and Colts, but also Harbaugh and the Ravens too. Harbaugh was so upset about the formations the Patriots used, he told his protege Pagano to call the Patriots out on the footballs. The jealousy among these teams and coaches is the real joke here. That was the first time I’ve ever heard Belichick speak from the heart and saw his frustration with the league, but it runs deeper. What a collection of jackasses.

Alright haters explain the study by Headstart Labs at Carnegie Mellon which should put this nonsense to rest:

During testing, twelve brand new footballs were inflated to 12.5 PSI in a 75 degree Fahrenheit room.
This was to imitate the indoor conditions where the referees would have tested the footballs 2 hours
and 15 minutes before kickoff. The footballs were then moved to a 50 degree Fahrenheit environment
to simulate the temperatures that were experienced throughout the game. In addition, the footballs
were dampened to replicate the rainy conditions.

HeadSmart Labs found that on average the footballs dropped 1.1 PSI from the 25 degree temperature
change alone. The Lab also found that when the leather was wet, the ball dropped an additional 0.7
PSI. In combination, it was found that on average the footballs lost 1.8 PSI with a max of 1.95 PSI from
exposure to game day elements.

this is how #deflategate ends with the NFL , the league finds the Pats innocent . then says that the league will deal harshly with losing teams going to the media with false or misleading accusations about the team that beat them that weekend . as well they should IMHO , sour grapes of the highest order .

The Patriots doctored the balls because the NFL was dumb enough to allow each team to police themselves. Does the NFL leave it up to each team to admit when they hold? No. If you allow teams to police themselves, the cheaters will cheat every time. If the Colts were playing with footballs that were easier to throw and catch, they might have won the game and be on their way to the Super Bowl. The saddest thing about this whole ordeal is that Tom Brady* will always be known as a cheater. As good as he is, he’ll never be discussed along with the greatest QBs. He’ll forever have the asterisk****

the Colts should be questioned now as if the only ball that was way off is the one from the team that tipped off the league, we know what that means. my guess is the colts didn’t think it would become a huge story and it wouldn’t come right back to them. if the colts did take extra air out of that ball to try to stick it to the Pats, they should be fine 1 million, have a draft pick taken among other things.

atthemurph says:
Jan 25, 2015 3:48 PM
Everyone knows that Tom Brady had someone deflate the balls to his liking after they were inspected by the referees after they had passed inspection 1 hr before game time.

Now how do you prove it if Brady and the ball boy won’t come clean?

I suppose they might find some video somewhere but probably not. I’m sure the ball boy did his work in a quiet, dark corner of the stadium.

There is no one else who would want the balls deflated and no one else who would dare to deflate them without Tom Terrific’s approval.

Brady had it done. He’s a cheat. The proof is the balls themselves.
___________

You don’t obviously understand the chain of custody with the game balls once they have been checked by the game ref…..or maybe you do and you don’t care how dumb you look!!!!

I’m a Steelers fan and this stinks to high heaven…..so much mis-information out there that people are taking it as GOSPEL!!!

OMG! Now people are blaming the NFL, Colts and Ravens because the Patriots cheat?! It would make me laugh ( if it wasn’t so pathetic and wrong) to see people (mostly pats fans) continue their audacity of excuses ” it’s not a big deal, other teams do it, it was the weather.”

Whatever, fools…

Each team is supposed to play the game fair with integrity. The Patriots don’t and when caught they say “Oh people are haters, or jealous.” You got some nerver, cheaters. SMH

I would think that anyone who knows Belichick would agree that if something happened Belichick would at this point after investigating would know. There is zero chance in my opinion anone would illegally tamper with equipment and keep it a secret from Belichick.

Therefore if there was tampering it had to be done on the sideline during or a minute or two before the game in front of thousands of people and cameras AND Belichick would be covering up and lying in the press conference which in itself would IMO cost his his job and destroy his legacy. Not a chance and get real.

It is obvious that this is a major screwup by harbaugh, the Colts and more with an axe to grind and they are the ones that better come clean.

Initial Report: D’Qwell Jackson noticed something was not right about the ball he intercepted
Follow Up: Jackson states he noticed nothing different about the ball he intercepted

Initial Report: Harbaugh/Ravens tipped off Colts
Follow Up: Harbaugh states he noticed nothing wrong with play balls during Divisional Round; “…kicking balls seemed low, from what I was told…”

Initial Report: 11/12 balls underinflated, 2 PSI
Follow Up: Only 1 balls was 2 PSI under the 12.5 minimum – the one that had been in the Colts’ possession; the other 11 were closer to 1 pound under (proven by many to be possible given weather and preparation methods used by teams)

Initial Report: Colts were concerned following 11/16 game against Patriots
Follow Up: No report was filed with NFL, Patriots received no notice, NFL was going to check into the balls at the half anyway?

As a person with a background in Six Sigma, I can’t even begin to state how bad this looks for the NFL, Ravens and Colts.

Did Colts not understand weather will drop pressure and refill balls during game to get them >12,5 psi? They either overfilled their balls at beginning, tampered during game, had them inspected at game temperature (not inside) prior to the game, or kept them heated during game.
Two of those possibilities constitute cheating. This needs to be part of the investigation.
And why would they take extra effort to make sure their balls were so inflated?? Were they afraid their sting operation was unraveling?

seahawkboymike says:
Jan 25, 2015 4:00 PM
The study is a joke. The lab did not reproduce the conditions, not even close, and the idea that a balmy 51 degree temperature can make a real NFL ball deflate by 15% is laughable.

You want proof they cheated? Look at their fumble per play stats. They’ve been deflating balls for years.

The evidence from HeadsSmart Labs is empirically derived, while your contention is pure supposition, unfounded either in studies on whether deflated ball will even help with fumbling, or in knowledge of how the Pats do things . Moreover, it is easily refuted. BB will remove any player who fumbles, as he did last year with the Pats best runner Ridley. Once he fumbled in two games close together, he stopped playing him and used Blount instead. BB will NOT tolerate fumbling at all. He is famous for that, yet you willfully ignore that datum point.

The best is yet to come. If there is a God in heaven, the Seahawks will crush the Patriots next Sunday to a chorus of “Karma, cheaters, and Just Desserts”

Then the real fun will begin, the kool aide drinker Patriots fans will complain about the distraction, the other 31 teams fans will point out the obvious, that the Patriots didn’t even deserve to be there in the first place.

Record fines, mulitple draft pick losses and hopefully a year long suspension will be the cherry on top.

Everyone questions ‘why the Colt’s balls were not under pressure’ when there is no statement from the NFL that they checked the Colt’s balls. If they did, then when and under what conditions? Could the kick off and field goal balls have been mixed up with the quarterback balls? (They are kept separate and the ‘ issue’ is only with the quarterback balls).

Arron Hernandez may be convicted of murder(s). To the NFL, the super bool champ cannot be the team that hired a convicted murder. Expect Seattle to get a lot a leeway on penalties while the Pats get less than none. Go refs!!!! (me being paranoid?)

I see most of you numbskulls commented not having read the article. This represents sea change of sorts. Two days ago there was obvious wrongdoing: 11 of 12 footballs 2 psi below regs. And reports that weather could not account for a 2 psi shortfall.

NOW … we here 10 of the 12 footballs might have actually been closer to 1 PSI below regs and experiments by academic department showing that the weather conditions and preparations detailed by Belichick have in fact accounted for 1.8 PSI loss in a lab.

And NOW — hints of dark motives and connections to the tampering charge filed against the Jets. I have heard this now from two independent sources.

Message to Roger Goodell: Have the decency to call a press conference and say something, anything to say that there is no evidence, after 40 interviews to say the Patriots did anything wrong. Mr. Commissioner, you sir HAVE NO BALLS.

One other point, In their investigation, Belichick said that the preparation of the game balls raises the temp by 1 PSI. It has not been disclosed what the refs did prior to the game but obviously if the prepared footballs are at 13.5 after prepping and the refs set them at 12.5 per the patriots preference, the refs let air out. Being outside further reduces it,

I am eager to hear what the refs did, that is the most likely cause. The colts probably prep differently or maybe they do it not Do it close to game time That would account for the difference

There will be no punishment because the Patriots did nothing wrong , although the league did do the patriots a favor by bringing the under inflated balls to the attention of the patriots staff . 1st half 17 points scored , 2nd half 28 points scored . Go Pats!!!!!!!

Criticism for this possible “swing and a miss” should NOT be directed “privately” to the League by Kraft. Kraft has to stop taking the high road, and call someone out for this. Stop with all the “complimenting” of 31 teams, and get down in the mud like everyone else.

Since this was a sting operation by the League, initiated by very sore losers and lesser coaches harbaugh and pig-ano, did it occur to anyone that the colts footballs were very much over inflated because the colts knew their balls would also be under scrutiny for comparison purposes. My guess is the colts did something to that one and only one ball of NE’s that they had possession of from the interception.

The colt’s player Dquwel whatever- his-last-name is said he did NOT complain to Pigano about the ball, he said nothing was wrong with it and Pig-ano said that the balls didn’t feel differently to him, yet he’s the one who perpetuated this foolishness with the League.What other lies are they going to tell?

When it comes out that NE did nothing untoward, what will the punishment(s) be for Harbaugh and Pig-ano? Additionally, the Jets clearly tampered with Revis and if this was started by them because NE hurt their feelings, they should be punished, as well. League should widen their search for instigators.

It’s obvious that slightly deflated footballs didn’t affect the outcome of the AFC championship game in the slightest. The NFL should have issued a final determination within a few days, as it said it would. And no question that determination would have absolved the Patriots. Has anyone considered bringing suit to the NFL on behalf of Patriots’ fans?

As Belichick pointed out 80,000 people – and team cameras from BOTH teams – routinely tape signal calling. Sideline signal calling was prohibited in 2006 and the Pats were punished.

But Goodell acted like signal filming was against the rules – when it wasn’t and it continues today.

Combine that with the fact that most NFL fans are ignorant about the Boston Herald RETRACTING the Rams practice filming story admitting the got it totally WRONG and you have the Patriots unfairly tarred and feathered by Goodell

Does anyone else think its weird out of all the cold weather teams that play, all the games that have been played in cold weather for decades, and this is the first we heard about something like this? Clearly just by that shows the patriots do things to the balls they shouldn’t.

No way the NFL deserves blame here…. Even if they set a trap….. How else do you expose cheaters who don’t even have the integrity to admit it once they’ve been caught red handed?? NFL can be blamed for a lot but not for the Patriots DNA of finding ways to gain an advantage even if it means CHEATING!

Not to mention the blame for a rule, as specific as it is, that demonstrates an exceptional naivete to the basic physics and natural variation involved. Specifically: having to monitor a dozen balls and maintain, over the course of 5-6 hours, a psi in a band as narrow as 1.0 when even a change of a couple dozen degrees of temperature is easily enough to move the gauge a couple psi.

If The Colts had prior knowledge of the pending halftime investigation, and The Patriots did not, that is actual cheating. If John Harbaugh conspired with The Colts to advance his whiny chicken poo complaints, then the stink of this whole thing is worse than that. Honestly Patriots Haters… Be careful what you wish for because there is no greater motivator for a Ball Coach than telling his team they are being disrespected. Belichick now has cannon fodder for seasons to come. The Seahawks, Colts, Ravens, and Jets will probably be wishing for a long time that no one kicked this hornets nest.

I think your article is close but not quite on point.
The League and Goodell blew it alright, but in the sense that they had knowledge of the appropriate in Nov. yet never follow up on it. The Patriots know full well that the ref usually just give the balls a feel test and don’t pressure gauge them. So they fill the ball the way Brady like them and if everything goes as planned then the balls get to the field as they like them. Since the NFL did not test them with the gauge, and I assume after the press conference yesterday that thru Kraft Belichick knew that they did not gauge them before the game, then the patriots can be confident that the league has no evidence since they didn’t need to change the pressure after the refs tested because they only did the feel test.
WOW Goodell reminds me of inspector clouseau.

Goodell is the worst commissioner out of all the big sports in North America.

He has turned the game into USA’s version of soccer.

The phantom defensive interference calls, the corrupt reffing such as in the Dallas game, the fines for every little thing that are unnecessary for a league that generates billions in revenue each year.

I love how grateful he was his name got cleared in the Ray Rice fiasco. What a joke that was.

Belichick is a modern red aurbach. Genius at every level. He has everyone wrapped around his finger. He has solidified himself as the most legendary coach of all time in all sports. The more teams hate the more his legend builds

I’d love to know what makes you think the NFL laid a trap? Because they measured the weight of the footballs after a question came up?? What did they do wrong?? They merely removed illegal balls from the game and then did a smart move by begin an investigation. That’s all you or anyone knows what was done. It’s our “have to have everything right now attitude” that has allowed your imagination to run away with you…… Easy to blame the NFL for WHAT?? They were in a no-win situation as soon as someone whispered to a newsman from Indianapolis named Kravitz….. That the Pats were up to their tricks again…. It’s the media who took off with this…NOT THE NFL

Is it possible that the trap was not league sanctioned but rather done by the Colts and Kensil because they were confident it would work? That seems more plausible to me and could explain why it was done so poorly. Hard to believe Goodell would knife Kraft that bad. Pagano, Grigson, and Kensil may have just gone rogue. It would also explain why the league is leaking and pointing the finger at Kensil now. It would sure help to know Mortensen’s source(s).

The media has already tried and convicted the Patriots. That alone borders on CRIMINAL.

Bill Belichick has NEVER given a press conference like the one he delivered the other day. There is ZERO reason for him to categorically deny everything, explicitly stating that they followed every rule to a T, if in fact he knew otherwise. If you’re guilty, and you know you’re guilty, you say nothing — or you say the NFL is investigating, I have no comment. Morons.

And, yet Florio, titles his article:

“Belichick’s explanation on inflation raises new questions”.

Gee what objectivism.

How about —

“Belichick denies any and all wrongdoing, says he’s 100% confident no rules were broken”

The fact the NFL has just brought in an outside investigator is likely proof that not only is there no evidence the Patriots violated any rules, but also that there is a significant likelihood that the NFL and the officials shoulder the blame.

Here’s what should happen:

1. John Harbaugh gets a one-year suspension and loss of draft picks, if it’s proven he squealed, for conduct un-becoming an ADULT HUMAN BEING and for tarnishing the reputations of both the Patriots and the NFL, and for distracting the team in their Super Bowl preparations.

Whatever teams’ preparation routines do to the balls, whatever pressure is in the balls when they are handed to the refs 135 minutes before kickoff, the sole responsibility for the inflation of those balls lies on the refs. If they failed to check the inflation of the balls, or improperly inflated them, then they are the ones to blame.

As far as pressure dropping in cold air, it does happen, and that is easily proved, and has been repeatedly. When have any of us ever heard of checking ball inflation during a game before this? If it had been done, we would have known that inflation varies over quite a large range, depending on the weather.

The only regulation involving inflation states that the balls must be between 12.5 and 13.5 PSI when they leave the referees’ locker room before game time. There is no NFL rule that requires teams to maintain that pressure during a game.

The one and only thing that the Patriots can be found guilty of is sticking a needle into the balls on the sideline. That is what has to be shown if there is to be any blame placed upon them.

I have not read anywhere else that a trap was baited by the NFL to catch the Patriots cheating in Deflategate. If this site makes that claim, they should provide the links for that accusation. I would be shocked if Goodell would try to entrap his good friend Robert Kraft ( who saved Goodell’s bacon after a vaguely critical Mueller report) unless the Patriots ignored a previous written warning. Why has the media not asked Goodell, Robert Kraft or Belichick whether the Patriots were warned about deflated balls previous to this incident.

All this legacy crap stop it.Lets think about it they perfectly deflated 11 balls on the sideline without a scale or a pump. Surely some would have been deflated 2 much and would need air added. They all were the same psi exactly. 2psi isn’t the same as 2pounds okay. 12.5 and 10.5psi is a difference of .25 ounces a little more than the amount of salt in a spoon minus the spoon. Now there saying it was about 1 psi short which makes it even more of a joke. Again not 2 pounds so everyone should get the image of a Brady squeezing the ball and it conforming to his hands. The ball is still hard and unless your a robot with pressure sensors in your hand! U can not feel the difference that’s why no one handling the ball could tell.Get real real everybody hates the Pats simply because they win to much. SpyGate is another big joke. Do your research people they didn’t get in trouble for stealing signals every team in the league were stealing signals. It was accepted practice if you didn’t disguise they were got. They got in trouble for recording the signals only not taking them.The memo came out in 2006 to not record signals. All of there SB wins were b4 2006. Bill Cowher said it best we didn’t loose the 04 SB because of no signals being stolen they were better than us get over it. We all stole signals we did it every team did it finally a Head Coach with enough ba__s to tell it like it is.Finally the last one the receiver that caught the interception didn’t start any investigation. He stated the ball felt just like any other ball he has handled I gave to the sideline to put up for my trophy case.so please enough they win a lot be mad at them for that and stop using all these excuses. Yeah the balls were actually switched out in the 1st half and they performed even better after??????? Yes Im a Engineer that deals with air bar on my automated robots. Our robot software wouldn’t even error out with a .25 BAR air drop it’s to minut.

Hence Belichick is counting on the leagues incompetence, again and again apparently, and as predicted the league comes back short in their ability to enforce their own rules even after they have been warned of possible violation. So the Patriots will walk and only because the league is COMPLETELY CLUELESS!!!
And could not figure out that they needed to gauge the balls instead of the feel test. And if they do gauge them then they are fixed and properly inflated balls go onto the field and Patriots technically cheated but since it was corrected they walk. Either way the aren’t held culpable. That the game that Belichick was playing and he won again not because he’s so smart but because Goodell is clueless.

Man, the media’s going to be eating a LOT of crow when this freaking mess is finally resolved. No, wait, the media doesn’t admit its wrong, does it? Even when it’s tarnished or downright destroyed innocent people.

As I wrote several days ago, it’s just impossible to believe that both Belichick and Brady would so egregiously LIE when both of their careers, reputations, and legacies are at stake here.

Soon a lot of Patriot haters (both in the media and not) are going to have to slink back into their loser man caves, but I bet they’ll do it without acknowledging that the Patriots were declared guilty on the basis of stories containing conclusions and mean-spirited speculation that in reality had no basis in fact.

From the day it started, this mess has stunk worse than a dumpster full of rotting fish heads.

can’t believe florio actually makes a valid point and not his usual passive aggressive style to take shots at the patriots. would be amazing if everyone could just move on and focus on what a great matchup this super bowl is. has the potential to be an all time classic.

Every time that the NFL believes that one of its teams is cheating (especially a franchise that has been caught in the act once before), they’re supposed to informally communicate to the cheating team that they should stop it??? If that’s the case, then what would be the incentive for the cheaters to not attempt a different cheating tactic since there are no consequences for their illicit activities???

The only way to stop serial cheating is to catch the cheater in the act – and then follow through with a sledgehammer punishment so severe that no other team in its collective right mind would consider following in the cheater’s footsteps.

The NFL is a joke. Goodell’s favorite team – the Patriots – will get away with cheating yet again. Proof: Colts’ footballs just fine, Patriots footballs not. I suppose these footballs will be destroyed also. Lol

jchipwood says….”Does anyone else think its weird out of all the cold weather teams that play, all the games that have been played in cold weather for decades, and this is the first we heard about something like this? Clearly just by that shows the patriots do things to the balls they shouldn’t. says…”
____________________________________
Does anyone think it’s weird that Patriots have played more games than anyone in the league in the last 15 years and this has never, ever, ever been an issue with the refs, other teams, etc. etc. This is the biggest nonsense, ever. The only reason people are hoping this is true is because they think it will explain this: Since 2000:
Patriots are #1 in the league in Winning Pct.
Patriots are #1 in the league in Division Titles
Patriots are #1 in the league in Super Bowl appearances
Patriots are #1 in the league in Super Bowl wins

Don’t forget, in a game where the Colts charged the Patriots were breaking the rules and a known Patriots-hater in the NFL office (Kensil) called the on field officials to point the finger at the Patriots, the Patriots were penalized twice as many times, for twice as many yards, while the Colts were given four 1st downs by penalties to the Patriots one. The only team apparently harmed on the field by this controversy was the Patriots.

Hi guys… my name is generic PFT Troll, its really nice to meet you all. I like to jump to conclusions and assume a lot of things based off of emotion while at the same time ignoring logic.

Now that you all know me, its pretty clear that the Patriots cheat! That’s all they have ever done… I don’t care what a scientist has to say, because my mind tells me its easier to assume the Patriots are just cheating as usual.

Its so obvious that the rest of the league does nothing wrong and that Bill B and the Pats always break every rule and that’s the reason they won.

I am so happy the Giants were able to beat the Patriots in both of those Super Bowls, because that stopped their cheating from working.

SO! In conclusion, there is no way the Patriots are innocent here. They cheated, and there is no science or logic that will prove otherwise. The NFL should be applauded for how well they handled this situation. I would also like to commend the Colts and Ravens for having integrity about this whole thing as well. There is no way Harbaugh had anything to do with what people are calling a sting. The Colts higher ups also clearly did not lie about knowing anything about this whole thing either.

It doesn’t matter what happens in the Super Bowl anyway… if they lose, they deserve it for being cheaters, if they win they cheated to do it anway! Down with the Patriots no matter what… RIGHT GUYS!?

The NFL is run by idiots. Why cant they just admit that they botched it, then move on?

They made people empathize with Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice. After the initial 2 game suspension for Rice, the NFL should have said… sorry we botched it. 8 game suspension for Rice, and 8 game suspension for Peterson.

The story would have ended and everyone would have moved on. Instead, they would prefer to throw fuel on the fire.

Same with this story… why wait until the AFC championship to investigate underinflated footballs? It was reported a while ago by Pagano… who lied with a straight face, when he said “I didn’t notice it, no comment.

Correction balls were 1 psi under meaning my earlier .25 ounces just got reduced to .125 or half the salt in a spoon minus the spoon. This is natural in cold conditions. Colts balls prolly started out at 13.5 and dropped to 12.5. Pats balls started out at 12.5 and dropped to 11.5. Can we move on people. They completely dominated the Colts let’s try to make it it about .125 psi of air. Really

You guys keep pushing this “sting operation” theory. But I dont get it. I thought the accepted story was that Jackson intercepted the ball, they then found it deflated, and decided to measure the balls at halftime. That doesn’t sound like a planned “sting operation” rather something discovered in the course of happenstance. To be a sting operation they would have had to plan to test the balls at halftime all along.

What is the relationship between the NFL Offices (i.e. commissioner and operations) and the team owners? The owners approve and appoint the Commissioner right? And the League office and operations funded by the teams. The League isn’t a separate entity from what I understand.

Where am I going with all of this? Kraft isn’t going to do anything to “tarnish” the shield by calling out Goodell or anyone in the NFL offices. There won’t be any investigation by the NFL against Irsay or Modell in terms of what those teams did or didn’t do. Kraft may address it in private during owners meetings, but that will be the extent of it. Once the NFL finished their investigation and either changes policies and procedures for how footballs are handled pre-game (likely) or fines the Pats (unlikely at this point) this will become an internal private matter for the private organization called the NFL.

Every time that the NFL believes that one of its teams is cheating (especially a franchise that has been caught in the act once before)….
––––––––––––––––––––
Will you please name a team that has not been caught cheating at least once?

So many Patriot fans been (correctly) chiding everyone else for not waiting for the official results and jumping to conclusions based off of the unofficial ones.

However, now that some more unofficial information supports their cause, they’re all for it.

Nice consistency.

While we’re at it…

According to an astonishlingly large number of Patriot fans who post here, the reason all of this is happening is due to one reason: Jealousy. Jealousy of the Patriots success. All of these “haters” are just jealous of the Patriots accomplishments. That’s it, end of story.

So let’s take a closer look:

Do the Patriots have the more Super Bowl wins than everyone else? No. Second most? Nope. Third? Again, no. In fact, there are five different teams with more Super Bowl wins than the Patriots.

Does Tom Brady have the most Super Bowl wins of any QB? No.

Does Bill Belichick have the most Suprt Bowl wins of any coach? No.

Is the Patriots Super Bowl win-loss record better than everyone elses? No. Not even close.

I’m not disputing that the Patriots have been very successful, and I’m not disputing the existence of haters. But it’s been mind-numbing to watch such a high number of Patriots fans obsessively cling to an argument that puts 100% the blame on everyone else without acknowledging that there have been more successful teams who have never had to deal with this.

The biggest news in this story is that the Patriots balls weren’t actually 2 psi under inflated, but rather “about one psi”. That should be a story in of itself.

____________________________

I think you are going to see the media slowly start walking this back. Now that they are all in Arizona they will start talking and comparing “sources”. By the time media day rolls around the story will be “it could have been the weather” and “sources say the Colts footballs weren’t checked during the half or after the game” or ” they were checked, but the Colts inflate their footballs to 13.5 and both dropped 1 psi, the one that was intercepted was used during the game the most that’s why it was down 2 psi.”

as i have said all along there is one main question remaining unanswered…just when did the nfl receive the video of the ballz in the elevator? now if there were no gambling on the nfl…who would be watching?

Goodell is an idiot plain and simple, unfit to run a McDonald’s franchise, how an intelligent person could not foresee the carnage this would cause on the eve of your signature event! Turn the NFL off!

I used the ideal gas equation to perform some calculations. Assume some friction technique was used to “rough up” or “break in” the footballs just before the referees made their pre game pressure measurements. It would be fairly easy to achieve an air temperature inside the football of 95 degrees F. Air is the let out of the ball until the pressure is 12.5 psi. If the football cools to 51 degrees F, the pressure reading would now be 11.5 psi.
For a 2 psi pressure drop to occur, the initial temperature of the air in the ball would need to be 148 degrees F. This would not be easy to achieve with friction alone. Maybe use a clothes dryer (135 degrees F), which would be present in the locker room.
In any case, a team could present footballs to the refs which would be measured as having proper air pressure before the game, but would measure a lower pressure during the game. Thus no post-measurement tampering would have occurred and no rules would have been violated.
The team might not even have intended to end up with an under inflated ball. They may figured out their ball “conditioning” method by chance and not really understood why the balls treated this way were softer on cold days.

At one pound under the minimum in cold weather (Indy was keeping their balls in a heated container), and “legit ball” just at the minimum. now it is undrrstandable why the refs who handles all of the balls between downs did not notice anything out of the ordinary.

With Indy getting pulverized, they nreded anything and everything to complain about to blame for being completely outplayed by the Patriots.

Funny that Forbes is reporting the nfl will not find Belicheck or Brady guilty of anything as they do not have any evidence that the patriots did anything deliberately to cheat. But will espn or nbc follow up on this nope. Espn buried an interview with Jackson who said he did not report that the ball was under inflated. Once again this means no ratings for espn so why report it. Fine the media wants to jump on a story but when they come out to be wrong they should correct themselves. Same thing happened with spygate. John tamasi retracted his statement that the patriots cheated but that was not sexy enough for the media so it gets buried. Belicheck at least took responsibility for this but at the time taping practice was not illegal. It currently still isn’t. As long as it is done from the correct area and not the sidelines.

With the balls allegedly “doctored” at Brady’s request he managed to: overthrow a wide open Edelman down the seam on their first possession, severely under throw Vereen on his longest completion of the 1st quarter (that should’ve been called for defensive PI), underthrow LaFell at the line of scrimmage during their first attempt at using their eligible/ineligible formation, underthrow Gronk on an out that could have been picked and finally underthrow Gronk leading to Jackson’s interception. Furthermore, Edelman had at least two drops and at the near completion of his end around he managed to fumble the ball out of bounds. Once they were “forced” to play with properly inflated balls in the 2nd half, the team and their QB were their normal, near perfect selves. And the usual imbeciles are arguing that the Patriots benefited from this “transgression”? But I guess I should factor in the league mandated “79” maximum IQ capacity required to be a Jets or Phins fan.

Don’t forget that Goodell is Kraft’s lap dog (basically owes his job to Kraft and they are apparently good friends) so that is probably straining the relationship right now. It also makes it unlikely the NFL will do much in the punishment department if they are able to prove the Patriots tried to cheat. I think destroying the “spygate” tapes and the mild punishment there helps show that. Payton gets suspended a year (without pay so approx 8 million) for something his dc did while Belichick gets fined a whole 500k over being caught cheating.

It should be a conflict of interest to be the commissioner and be friends or have any type of ties to a specific owner. Just another example of how big a joke the NFL is.

And yet another story filled with hyperbole. Not a fact in here. “Source says” “sources say”…. it’s all it ever is.

Look the media has fault for this nonsense. It led the news of all three major channels one night.

But the fact is… this is on the NFL. Again. If Goodell gives one rats butt about the NFL having the confidence and trust of the fans that have made them billions, then bring in transparency. Announce how many balls and how much pressure. Give us a reference point of the Colts balls and what their psi was.

The simple fact of the matter is once again we got hit with a partial story, and left for everyone to guess at reality.

Unfortunately…. it doesn’t matter. This story won’t hit a “resolution” till well after the Super Bowl, when we’ve all filed away the NFL until the draft and there will be no reprecussions for Roger, yet again.

I know I’ll get slaughtered by the #AntiPatriots for this but I’m gonna go ahead and post it anyway. The reason is that I don’t recall in all my years ever witnessing such eagerness and giddiness by so many to call for such much punishment and reprimand based on so little actual evidence. It really astounds me how in their rabid, manic, Patriot-hating euphoria people can’t realize that they are crucifying the reputations and characters of a set of real, flesh and blood people with not so much as a CRUMB of actual evidence of wrongdoing. Just. Mind boggling. Anyway, I digress. Here I present to you, taken from the ESPN.com message board and posted by William S. VanNieuwenhuyze, a treatise on all the arguments #AntiPatriots love to talk about and the ACTUAL FACTS around those arguments. Use it at your leisure. Enjoy:

• “Tuck Rule Game” Argument 1: That was a FUMBLE!
o Fact: NFL Rule 3, Section 22, Article 2, Note 2 clearly states that any …… “intentional forward movement of his arm”…….”even if the player loses possession of the ball as he is attempting to tuck it back toward his body.” No fumble according to the rule. CORRECTLY applied.

• “Tuck Rule Game” Argument 2: The NFL created the Tuck Rule during that game!
o Fact: The “Tuck Rule” was in placed into effect in 1999, and was changed in 2013, 11 years after the game.
o Fact: The “Tuck Rule” was called in favor of Jets QB Vinny Testaverde during the 2nd game of the 2001 season against the Patriots in Foxboro (I WAS THERE).

• Patriots taped Rams practice prior to Superbowl XXXVI Argument:
o Fact: Boston Herald reporter, John Tomase, reported, the Friday before the Superbowl, that the Patriots had taped a Rams practice. He later admitted the story was inaccurate, and was NOT based on factual evidence. Tomase then issued a public apology for the erroneous report.

• Patriots “Cheated” by “Illegal” videotaping during their Superbowl-winning seasons Argument:
o Fact: Video-taping the opposing team from the sideline was NOT ILLEGAL, prior to a league-wide memo set to all teams during the 2006 season by Ray Anderson.
o Fact: The only restriction the Ray Anderson memo made, was regarding the filming from the sideline. NO restrictions were placed on viewing opponent signals with binoculars, lip-reading through binoculars, writing down descriptions of opponent signals.
o Fact: Numerous current, and former, NFL head-coaches, including Jimmy Johnson and Bill Cowher, identified videotaping of opponent signals as common practice within the NFL prior to the Ray Anderson memo in 2006.

• Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are pathological liars Argument:
o Fact: There has never been ANY evidence produced supporting the claim. In fact, Bill Belichick admitted/apologized publicly for “Spygate”, and has never denied his involvement.

• Patriots are ALWAYS bending the rules Argument:
o Fact: The ONLY “rule” the Patriots have been proven to have violated, was the rule against the “location” of videotaping, as layed out in the 2006 Ray Anderson memo.
o Fact: The unique formations utilized by the Patriots against the Ravens in the 2014 Divisional Playoff win were confirmed as legal by the NFL.

• “Defalt-Gate” is PROOF the Patriots CHEAT Argument:
o Fact: The NFL has presented NO evidence, as of yet, that any intentional “deflation” of footballs occurred in the AFC Championship Game.
o Fact: Both Bill Belichick, and Tom Brady, have categorically denied knowledge of intentional defating of footballs (see Pathological Liars Argument).

• The Patriots Legacy is “Tainted” Argument:
o Fact: The Patriots have NEVER been proven to have “cheated”. They have only been proven as guilty of videotaping from the wrong location during a single game following the 2006 season. Any activity prior to 2006, was not illegal.

As I stated earlier, I challenge anyone to debate these points with facts, not sensationalized claims by media hacks and talking heads. The objective person can clearly see the pattern with comments made by former players of teams the Patriots have beaten in playoffs and Superbowls, or former players/coaches who’s own legacies/records are being surpassed by Bill, Tom, and the Patriots. Below is a partial list of those whom are spewing venom without a factual basis:
• Troy Aikman: In danger of having Tom Brady move past him on the list of Superbowl winning quarterbacks.

• Jerry Rice: A member of the Raiders in the “Tuck Rule” game, and teammate of Joe Montana, who can be tied for Superbowl wins by Tom Brady. Tom would then be in the discussion for greatest QB ever, with 4 SB wins, and 6 appearances.

• Jerome Bettis: Member of 2 Steelers teams that lost AFC Championship games, at home, to the Patriots.

• Brian Dawkins: Member of Philadelphia Eagles team that lost Superbowl XXXIX to the Patriots.

• Marshall Faulk: Member of the St. Louis Rams team that lost Superbowl XXXVI to the Patriots.

• Mark Brunell: Member Jaguars team that lost the 1997 AFC Championship to the Patriots. Also a member of the New York Jets under Rex Ryan.

Let me be clear about my objectivity, even as a life-long fan, and season ticket holder, of the Patriots. IF the Patriots are proven to have deliberately broken a rule by deflating footballs, whomever is responsible should be punished. I will not defend any actions which deliberately bypass the integrity of the game. What I will NOT do, however, is to assume ANYONE is guilty without a review of the facts. Along with that, I will NOT provide an audience for anyone to spew vitriol for the sake of vitriol.

I hope Belichick looks long and hard at all of the possible slander lawsuits he may have once the tide settles. So many people in the media have completely embarrassed themselves through this entire fiasco.

WOW……a long time Jets family initiated this? Holy cow…….how did the league office not look twice at that before acting?

Also,

“But what has the NFL really found? As one league source has explained it to PFT, the football intercepted by Colts linebacker D’Qwell Jackson was roughly two pounds under the 12.5 PSI minimum. The other 10 balls that reportedly were two pounds under may have been, as the source explained it, closer to one pound below 12.5 PSI.”

SO you are saying that the Colts let 1 PSI out of the football intercepted by Jackson before handing it to the NFL? Or did someone else let that air out on it’s way to the NFL? Or did it lose pressure sitting out in the cold for a couple of hours on the Colts sideline?

Sooo many questions……and frankly, so little interest in the answers at this point. If we had it to do all over again I think we’d all bypass this in favor of the game. The air pressure issue just doesn’t warrant losing the Super Bowl, and I have a funny feeling someone is going to owe the Patriots a HUGE apology when all is said and done. I just hope if does not negatively affect the Patriots ability to compete at their highest level. That would be the true shame here, and that damage simply cannot be undone. It is also what is driving this media frenzy, i.e. the idea that somehow this can be used to damage the Patriots, regardless of whether there was any wrong doing or not. It’s a sad sad sad sad world.

The ESPN map/poll of what America thinks about the psi issue is interesting. Basically, it is the liberal states, where they are accustomed to creating layers and layers of absurd rules and regulations to the point that nobody can follow them, and where institutional control is valued over the individuals rights, that all think this is a big issue. It is the heartland states, and states with mixed populations from transplants across the country that think this is no big deal. Incidentally they make up a minor majority.

It’s no coincidence that that map also reads like a tape on “Who’s Who?” of teams and fan bases that have lost a lot of games, some big games, to the Patriots. Lolzzz.

NFL league office needs to dump all those lawyers and hire some engineers. The NFL’s reaction to this? Hire a team of lawyers and PIs (that’s private investigators, not pass interference) and interview 40 people (except Brady). Belichick’s reaction? Actually simulate ball preparation and game conditions. We’ve heard from Belichick twice, Brady once. What do we get from the NFL? A vague press release 5 days after the game. They are complete buffoons. Goodell is MIA, not one peep while the integrity of the Superbowl is in question. ZERO leadership. The league office starting with Goodell should be gutted.

Interesting. Now PFT is reporting”But what has the NFL really found? As one league source has explained it to PFT, the football intercepted by Colts linebacker D’Qwell Jackson was roughly two pounds under the 12.5 PSI minimum. The other 10 balls that reportedly were two pounds under may have been, as the source explained it, closer to one pound below 12.5 PSI.”

Two days ago the media was reporting all 12 balls were below 12.5 PSI, 11 were under 10.5 and one was between 10.5 and 12.5. Now the media is reporting no one knows what the PSI of any ball is.

macker1283 says:
Jan 25, 2015 5:24 PM
You guys keep pushing this “sting operation” theory. But I dont get it. I thought the accepted story was that Jackson intercepted the ball, they then found it deflated, and decided to measure the balls at halftime. That doesn’t sound like a planned “sting operation” rather something discovered in the course of happenstance. To be a sting operation they would have had to plan to test the balls at halftime all along.

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The “Sting” thing comes from the fact that the NFL had stated that they were there to test the balls at halftime anyway, regardless of the Colts in game use of cell phones to launch a complaint, and deflation of the intercepted ball by 1 PSI prior to handing it over to the NFL. Whether the NFL is telling the truth on that, we don’t know. But an outside agency can be hired to conduct an investigation if you like.

The league was right to set a trap. If they’d simply told the Patriots that they knew what they were up to and to cut it out, then the Pats would have been given a free pass for all the times they’ve deflated game balls in the past?

What if they’ve been pulling this stunt for ten years? We never would have known.

Now that they’ve been caught red-handed, they need to explain why all of their footballs were below the legal limit of inflation. And maybe we’ll learn how long they’ve engaged in this practice.

The espn poll is a joke. For the first 4 hrs the votes were in favor of the patriots and New England the. In the next hr it went completely lopsided against them. Then the website was locked up so you couldn’t vote once they had it in their favor. Shocker espn fixing things for ratings

So, NFL setting up a sting to catch the Patriots. Colts are aware so there balls are all at the 13.5 legal level. Pats are at the 12.5 legal level. At halftime the Colts balls are at 12.5 and still legal but the Patriots balls are 11.5. So they both could have been legal, the weather effect both sides.

So, NFL setting up a sting to catch the Patriots. Colts are aware so there balls are all at the 13.5 legal level. Pats are at the 12.5 legal level. At halftime the Colts balls are at 12.5 and still legal but the Patriots balls are 11.5. So they both could have been legal, the weather effect both sides.
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Then the balls are re-inflated at half time, and keep pressure throughout the second half. The physics only affected 11 of 24 balls in the first half, and had no effect during the second half.

“One more thing on only blaming the media and not Roger. The NFL tipped off Bob Kravitz. The league fed the media. The buck stops with Goodell.”

I would hope by now people would be questioning what they know and the alleged “facts” in evidence. Kravitz reported that his source was the league but it is logical that his initial source was the Colts and they pointed him to the person in the league office that would verify the story. Kravitz, would then use the league source to make his story look more credible. It’s likely his Colts source demanded not to be mentioned. This is conjecture on my part it is logical. Florio implies that the Colts made the story public.

footballleague4u, I appreciate you giving us the heads up! If they deleted stories from the front page all at once that would be a very interesting fact. I am just surprised they wouldn’t get rid of the Delategate question on the front page and a number of Deflategate stories on the NFL page.

I have worked with a lot of corporate legal departments and if they believe they have a potential liability of the magnitude they would have here they move pretty quickly to mitigate. Given the role Chris Mortensen played in getting this story out, and the ESPN paid employees that have called Belichick and Brady liars and cheats, the legal departments must be spinning if what Florio reports is true.

Yet to see or hear anything other than unsubstantiated reports about the actual PSI inside the PATs footballs or the Colts footballs at halftime.
Without having a set of numbers for both teams, of what value is the Pats PSI number for their footballs?

Supposedly, they were all within the correct parameters, which, as many have pointed out, could be because they inflated them to 13.5 PSI prior to the game.

Either way, Florio and the other Media vultures just want (as Bob Dylan sings) “to be on the side that’s winning”.

The written materials connected with the Patriots scientific tests would be published where ? The names of the scientists who did the test would be published where? It’s time for the Pats to come clean.

I dare anybody to hold a football and by feel tell an unbiased person exactly what the PSI of each of the balls with a simple squeeze test. One might well know if a ball is at 13.5 but the difference between 12, 11.5, 12.5 on a simple squeeze test – not probably. Which means they are making mountains out of mole hills. Which means again Goodell is a loser when it comes to getting in front of this and issuing a statement saying that it didnt matter but it does open up some questions on ball handling that we are going to address in the future. I would be more concerned about a rogue individual getting an off centered or overly soft ball marked K in for a long field goal.

Wow, if anyone has stumbled on any of my many comments on this football extravaganza you will note that my persistent question was always how many of the 11 were 2 PSI under. When this first broke it was reported that 11 out of 12 balls were under the limit as much as 2 PSI. (As much as 2 PSI) could mean 1 ball, all 11 balls or any number of balls in between. Also the LIMIT is 13.5, the minimum is only 12.5. I have always asked 2 psi from where. 13.5 or 12.5? Now the one ball that made it to the Indy sideline is the ACTUAL ball that was 2 psi under the minimum and the other 10 were a whole 1 psi higher? The story has just taken on a whole new plot. Someone on the INDY sideline deflated already deflating (on going, not past tense) balls. The NFL had to report 1 ball was inflated properly for this whole thing to fly. If all 12 balls were under, it would have been easier to dismiss this as referee error. By stating one ball was normal this brings suspicion to the Patriots deflating balls over time on the sideline. If the Ravens in their game believed the balls were under inflated why was it reported after the fact. They intercepted 2 of Brady’s passes in that game. Also they complained about their K balls being under inflated and we all have now learned that those are separate from game balls and the NFL monitors those so what was the point of even complaining about those. To add fuel to the fire and persuade even more negativity to public opinion of Belichick , Brady and the Patriots Brand. Goodell will be fired, Harbaugh suspended, Pagano suspended and this new clown stepping into the mix from the J-E-(s)T-S JE(s)TS JE(s)TS JE(s)TS will be out as well.

disorien, wouldn’t it be great if, going forward, Bill lit up a cigar in the fourth quarter like Red? Too funny. Alas, Bill is too respectful of his opponents to be so bold. When I was a young kid I lived less than a mile away from where the Celtics practiced at Babson College and use to sneak in to watch Russell, Cousey, and Heinsohn. Russell was never too friendly to me but Tom “Satch” Sanders was. I also use to go to the Mobil station on Great Plain Avenue with a magnet to pull out the Coca-Cola bottle caps with the Patriots players on the inside for my collection. Being a fan was drilled into me at a very young age. The haters don’t understand how many years us Patriots fans rooted for a team that didn’t win much of anything.

FINALLY an article about deflategate I agree with. Jackson says he noticed nothing odd about the ball and it was reportedly 10.5 psi. The others were around 11.5 psi. You really believe this made a big difference? I DON’T. But as stated in article the NFL first let it leak about the balls. Which was wrong.

I agree Roger Goodell is the one who needs to get FIRED. The NFL let a team playing in it’s championship game twist in the wind. Now everyone thinks they are cheaters. As mentioned. NFL could have told Colts they found suspicious footballs and have warned the Patriots to stop it NOW. Instead league lets one of its biggest owners twist in the wind. Goodell needs to go NOW.

Let’s remember that the Colts balls were not exposed to the elements as much as The Patriots balls, because they Colts played so poorly on offense and defense they spent most of the night on the sidelines. That might also explain a few things LOLzzz.

Well Florio has had another change of heart. Yesterday he knew for sure they were guilty, now he’s not sure they’ll find anything. I think if they don’t find anything the Patriots should sue the league and follow the trail of who brought it to their attention. If found that these people put them all on a wild goose chase, sue them as well. If I were Mr Kraft, I’d be furious. He’s a nice man, but his brand has been seriously hurt. He must make people pay for this if it’s not true. And if they try to fine him just because they found the balls under, I would make them prove it in a court of law before I’d pay. There are too many variables. I agree they should clear this up now!

Congrats to Bill on his fifth grade science experiment. Second it doesn’t matter how it happened or what benefits the patriots got or didn’t get from the deflated footballS they used nunerous times I’m sure. What matters is the nfl has a rule on the air in the ball and they broke it. Belichick cheated once AGAIN, and should be out the league.
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Actually, it does matter how it happened. In order for there to be cheating (or to use a more objective term, a rules violation), there needs to be evidence that the Pats did something to intentionally alter the footballs after they were inspected. If no such evidence exists (or is found), then the Pats can’t be found guilty of any such violation. Plain and simple. I make no claim to any knowledge of what actually happened, unlike the people lining up to call the Pats cheaters without any proof to back up their claims.

What I do know is that Brady stated before that he prefers his footballs at the lower end of the allowable inflation. That could mean that he’d be interested in trying to get them even less inflated. It could also mean that they already started out at the lower end of the allowable pressure level before they were taken out into the colder air (that became even colder when the storm front moved in). I know for a fact that a drop in temperature can deflate a ball. I remember when I was a kid, the kickball I had back in my room would shrink in the winter, and expand back to normal size when it got warmer. So, it’s certainly POSSIBLE that they balls deflated naturally. I, however, am willing to keep an open mind until all of the actual facts are known.

Comcast is now reporting PFT’s report that only the Patriots football in the Colts possession was 2 pst under the minimum and that the other 11 were within a range that reasonable. Let’s see if other news agencies follow.

No evidence? How about the footballs that were underinflated? The cheaters were caught red handed!!!
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That’s evidence only of the fact that the eventual pressure was lower than the league mandated minimum. It in no way proves that the Pats did anything inappropriate in order to cause said deflation. Without evidence of that, there is no rules violation. The Pats can’t be considered cheaters if the deflation occurred naturally after the league officials approved the footballs. If the league is dead set on the footballs being within a certain pressure range while they’re being used, they need to do a quick pressure check before they’re used, not before the go out into the cold. Better yet, the league officials could be solely responsible for maintaining the balls used in the game.

I just looked into the former Panthers GM, some guy named Hurley that I have never heard of, who has been given prominent space on ESPN for several days to say that (despite having no evidence) he is obsessed with the Patriots culture of cheating. What Hurley is really obsessed with is that he blew his NFL shot and now has a sports radio show. I kid you not, ESPN has dredged up a bunch of bitter guys (Madden, Brunnell, Dawkins, Mortensen, and this guy Hurley) to tear down Belichick and Brady as if Bill and Tom don’t have a resume of excellence and performance of over 15 years that speaks for itself.

restoreintegritytonfl says:
Jan 25, 2015 7:41 PM
How about putting the blame on the team that cheats and not everybody else.

so will you put blame on the browns for texting or seattle for the ped violations from 2010-2013? Yet you still haven’t shown credible evidence the patriots cheated. I thought you had proof? Where is it the league will thank you

Everyone keeps saying how this could have effect on the outcome of the game if it is true, but how about the Ravens Jernigan poking Brady in the eye right in front of the ref? Ok ref was busy breaking up a scrum and maybe didn’t see it, but Inside the NFL sure had film on it…but I don’t remember any fine or disgust from the media on it. Now I think that could possibly have more effect on a game than some football being at 11.5 psi….still a non-story.

Isn’t this an old lawyers trick ? When caught, simply blame the victim. So now this is all the leagues fault?? People are blaming the colts and the ravens for sour grapes. Then they Blame the weather conditions, And now we’ve come full circle and it’s the leagues fault the patriots footballs were under inflated? Is this really how we want to handle people/teams who break the rules? When you catch a repeat offender, don’t bust them, WARN THEM. give them an opportunity to correct their illegal activities. I mean lord knows the patriots deserve the benefit of the doubt when it comes to transgressions. Sarcasm implied. People say if this was any other team it wouldn’t be an issue. I disagree. If this were the cowboys, the steelers, the packers or giants, other fans would still be screaming cheaters. People say the pats out scored the colts 28-0 second half with the football properly inflated. Sure, once the colts were behind by 3 scores, I’m pretty sure all of the fight was out of them, and let’s not discount the fact the patriots ran the football a lot, and former NFL running backs are saying holding onto the football is a lot easier when it’s deflated. So let’s guess who has fumbled the least in cold weather games? Hmmmmmm yep the pats. Makes ya wonder. Old Tom Brady loves the football under inflated for throwing, plus RBs love the football under inflated to hold onto. Kind of looks like a perfect setup for the pats either way. I always wondered what the patriot way meant. Now I know. Push the rules to the limits, see what ya can get away with, and when caught blame everyone else.

Great to see you addressing these issues. Hope you’ll continue to hammer on Goodell’s mishandling of this situation along with so many others over the last few years. The best thing that could happen to the sport we all love would be a change of leadership in the commissioner’s office. PFT can be a powerful voice for that change.

Love all the hate. Now it’s one pound under that could definitely be explained away by the weather. If the Colt’s balls were inflated to the maximum of 13.5 they’d drop to 12.5 and if the Patriots were inflated to 12.5 they would drop to 11.5. There is no proof the Patriots intentionally did anything wrong and there is no proof that the alleged intentional deflation gave them an advantage whatsoever. Just like in court you have to have solid evidence you can’t just want someone to be guilty. Even the Colt’s players themselves are say the balls didn’t give the Patriots and advantage. In fact every interview I’ve seen with a Colt’s player has stated that the Patriots flat outplayed them. “Ya hate us cause you ain’t us!”

“Isn’t this an old lawyers trick ? When caught, simply blame the victim. So now this is all the leagues fault?? People are blaming the colts and the ravens for sour grapes. Then they Blame the weather conditions, And now we’ve come full circle and it’s the leagues fault the patriots footballs were under inflated? Is this really how we want to handle people/teams who break the rules? When you catch a repeat offender, don’t bust them, WARN THEM. give them an opportunity to correct their illegal activities. I mean lord knows the patriots deserve the benefit of the doubt when it comes to transgressions. Sarcasm implied. People say if this was any other team it wouldn’t be an issue. I disagree. If this were the cowboys, the steelers, the packers or giants, other fans would still be screaming cheaters. People say the pats out scored the colts 28-0 second half with the football properly inflated. Sure, once the colts were behind by 3 scores, I’m pretty sure all of the fight was out of them, and let’s not discount the fact the patriots ran the football a lot, and former NFL running backs are saying holding onto the football is a lot easier when it’s deflated. So let’s guess who has fumbled the least in cold weather games? Hmmmmmm yep the pats. Makes ya wonder. Old Tom Brady loves the football under inflated for throwing, plus RBs love the football under inflated to hold onto. Kind of looks like a perfect setup for the pats either way. I always wondered what the patriot way meant. Now I know. Push the rules to the limits, see what ya can get away with, and when caught blame everyone else.”

You wouldn’t get called into court in the first place to face lawyers with flimsy and somewhat non existence evidence.

Everyone sick of their cheating!! All of us PFT trolls know for a fact that the only logical reason for their continued success is cheating!!! Brady and BB need to be banned from the league…. EVERYONE IS SICK OF THIS OBVIOUS CHEATING!!

Hey Berniethedog, Google “Units of measurement” for air pressure, or better yet talk to a chemist and tell him that the pound is the unit of measure for air pressure. See what you find out. Then look at the NFL’s language on air pressure and how their rule would get tossed out of court by an law-firm intern.

The NFL has tarnished its own shield by painting a Super Bowl participant as a cheater without clear evidence of cheating.
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Not the NFL. Entities such as yourself have. Nice try deflecting though.

You are all sore losers and jealous of the Pats for their consistent winning seasons. You all can’t believe how bad your teams are and therefor need to find a reason to say the Patriots are not as good as they seem. There is absolutely no evidence of intentional foul play. Just because you wish it so doesn’t mean it is that way. Grow up.

Reading this article, I get the whisper that The Colts, The Ravens, and The Jets were complicit in setting up this ‘sting’. Aren’t all teams supposed to play by the same rules? That is the premise… Unless I’m missing the point. So, The Colts start the game knowing that The Patriots Game Balls will be seized at halftime for ‘evaluation’. That certainly sounds like an unfair advantage. Given the possibility that The NFL League Office was actively involved in this potential seizure, this is cheating. It’s not vague accusations of videotaping in 2003, it’s cheating last weekend. It’s not one coach, or one program, on one day. It is systemic cheating involving multiple teams on multiple days with a specific agenda. That agenda being to diminish a successful franchise. If The NFL had a problem with the perceived inflation of any teams game day balls, then they should have followed a discreet and professional process to evaluate and remedy the relevant questions. They should not have done a Sunday Night press bomb filled with inference but devoid of fact. Finally, If The Colts staff knew of this question and did nothing, they have done more to diminish the integrity of the game than any archived grainy videotape ever could.

I used the ideal gas equation to perform some calculations. Assume some friction technique was used to “rough up” or “break in” the footballs just before the referees made their pre game pressure measurements. It would be fairly easy to achieve an air temperature inside the football of 95 degrees F. Air is the let out of the ball until the pressure is 12.5 psi. If the football cools to 51 degrees F, the pressure reading would now be 11.5 psi.
For a 2 psi pressure drop to occur, the initial temperature of the air in the ball would need to be 148 degrees F. This would not be easy to achieve with friction alone. Maybe use a clothes dryer (135 degrees F), which would be present in the locker room.
In any case, a team could present footballs to the refs which would be measured as having proper air pressure before the game, but would measure a lower pressure during the game. Thus no post-measurement tampering would have occurred and no rules would have been violated.
The team might not even have intended to end up with an under inflated ball. They may figured out their ball “conditioning” method by chance and not really understood why the balls treated this way were softer on cold days.

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Sorry, chemistrymajor, you fail. You used gauge pressure for your calculations instead of absolute pressure. Just like you have to use Kelvin for temperature, you have to use absolute pressure for pressure. To convert from gauge pressure to absolute pressure you add ~14.7 psi (this will vary a little depending upon atmospheric conditions). This is something that often doesn’t get covered in class, and the canned homework problems always provide absolute pressure, so blame the person who taught you. A ball inflated to 12.5 psi in a 70 F room will drop to 11.5 psi after being exposed to an outside temperature of 51 F. Not only did I do the calculation, I taught this exact example in class this week.

Funny how Pat fans are all about the “let’s get the evidence” when one set of reports come out, but as soon as another set of reports come out, again, with no evidence, they’re all, “See, you’re all just haters.”

“hat • ers” n. 1) The laziest argument you can make in a sports debate.
2) The argument you make when your original argument has been dismantled.

This is why the NFL is quiet. If you listened to Belichicks news conference after the balls are prepared and selected by Brady, they hand them over to the OFFICIALS TO INFLATE. The Pats do not touch the balls until play. If this was a sting and the OFFICIALS or league tampered with the balls to pull this off, then Goodell needs to be fired, immediately.

Smoking gun??? They have 11 of 12 Smoking guns! The “barometric pressure” on the Colts side of the field was no different than the Pats side people. This ain’t hating, it’s cold, hard fact. The Pats CHEAT. PERIOD. They didn’t need to cheat in the AFC title game, but they DID. Look, once a cheater, ALWAYS a cheater. Win or lose, they get an ASTERISK*

That is what Goodell is going to end up doing to the league. A sting operation before the Superbowl? That is so stupid. All it succeeds in doing is making the NFL look stupid, disparage a team, and make the league look even more stupid and incompetent.

Last year we were talking about the chances the Seahawks had against the greatest offense of all time!!! This year not so much about the game.

One of the games true greats has been accused of cheating???? Tom Brady may not be your idea of a great guy or whatever, but at this late stage in his career to be branded as a cheat?
With evidnce that seems to change with each passing storyline?

Former NFL quarterback Jeff Blake says he oversaw the deflation of footballs on the sideline right before games during his career. Speaking on The Midday 180 out of Nashville, Blake said the practice was common.

“I’m just going to let the cat of the bag, every team does it, every game, it has been since I played,” Blake said. “Cause when you take the balls out of the bag, they are rock hard. And you can’t feel the ball as well. It’s too hard. Everybody puts the pin in and let’s just enough air out of the ball that you can feel it a little better. But it’s not the point to where it’s flat.”

“So I don’t know what the big deal is. It’s not something that’s not been done for 20 years.”

Many other NFL quarterbacks have said the opposite, that they’ve never messed with the inflation of a ball or seen anyone do so. The topic has come to the forefront with the New England Patriots being investigated by the NFL due to allegations the team used underinflated footballs in the first half of the AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Asked to be specific about the timing of deflation, Blake said it regularly happened as soon as quarterbacks got the balls before the game.

“As soon as they give them the balls,” Blake said. “On the sideline before the game. The quarterbacks would come out to warm-up in pregame … “I would just say, ‘Take a little bit out, it’s a little bit hard.’ And then they’d take a little bit out and I’d squeeze them and say ‘That’s perfect, that’s it.'”

Blake played for seven teams in 13 seasons, starting 100 games. His longest tenure was six seasons with Cincinnati.

His last year was 2005, so during his career when his team was on the road, Blake would not have handled the footballs until pregame.

All the national slander/defamation/ smear the Pats campaign that has gone on is beyond terrible. My gut reaction initially was a frame up by the Colts. Now I think it was more of a collusion of 2 to 3 teams plus the league. This caused the Patriots to waste time on this, rather than prepare fully for Seattle. This may put an asterisk on any possible Seattle win. Go Pats! Systematically dismantle the birds! Leave no doubt!

They took the most historically significant SB matchup in many many years and turned it into Tom Brady either winning, but through cheating for an unknown amount of time, or the Seahawks beating a team that are so distracted by the accusations that they weren’t playing their best.

Who are these anonymous “league sources” who keep leaking things? I thought Roger Goodell ran a tight ship? The SS Minnow had fewer leaks than this story (look it up).

Most of us are playing a game here: When a leak comes out that is inflammatory towards the Pats, we believe it wholeheartedly and without question. It’s the Gospel truth, and we immediately engage in a guessing game as to how the alleged act could have happened.

Somebody prints a story that the balls were 2 PSI under. No one questions it, and we all start speculating about how the balls got that way and whether Brady knew about it, or ordered it, or whether Belichick was behind it, or what the punishments would be. No one bothered to question who these nameless, faceless, anonymous sources were who gave us the information, and whether or not they were trustworthy. Lo and behold, a few days later, oops! They weren’t 2 PSI under–they were .5 – 1.0 under. This is a significant change, and yet no one has seemed to lose faith in these leaked stories.

Belichick proved that when the balls are prepped for game play, there is a temporary 1 PSI increase each football’s pressure, which then dissipates over the course of a couple of hours. Hence we have footballs that would have measured at 12.5 before the game, and 11.5 at halftime, which is, at least according to the latest leak, exactly what happened, and this is to say nothing for the environmental conditions, which also cause footballs to lose pressure.

WHY are we seeking other, conspiratorial explanations for the footballs’ loss in pressure, when it is perfectly explainable by other factors which have been proven by experiments?

Myth #2893778 about “deflategate”: The Pats’ footballs lost pressure, and the Colts’ didn’t.

Wrong. No one said Indy’s footballs didn’t lose pressure. The information (which incidentally came from anonymous leaks) stated that the Colts’ footballs were within proper PSI limits both before the game and at halftime. This DOES NOT mean their balls didn’t lose pressure!

No one has claimed that both teams’ balls started at the same pressure. If they were all in range before the game, this could have meant Indy’s balls were 13 – 13.5 PSI, and New England’s were 12.5. If they all lost .5 PSI due to environmental conditions, one set would still be okay and the other would not. But of course, we’ll never prove this, because the NFL officials didn’t bother writing down the individual pressure readings of each ball.